A Fleeting Dream
by akahey
Summary: You died a tragic death, and Hibari cannot help but deny it when your funeral comes. He doesn't want to believe it, but he can't ignore it, either.


**shortie: This was written for SweetxasXSin on Luanescence. (But I'm not even sure she's read it yet. .___.)**

**I was listening to "A Fleeting Dream" on youtube, and it sent my thoughts roaming over to Final Fantasy X. So, it turned the whole story angsty. (Even though, I had thoughts of writing a story filled with angst beforehand.)**

**Disclaimer****:**** I don't own Katekyo Hitman Reborn! Nor you.****  
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A chill hangs in the unusually cool summer air. Dark, ominous clouds shroud the sky; they speak of fat drops of rain and the possibility of thunder. No speck of sunlight is able to pierce through their voluminous size, and _that _foretells of a sad and dreary day. While Namimori bustles with lively chatter, busy people with busier schedules, and animated routines (with zooming cars on the streets), a small crowd is gathered in the cemetery. They are quiet and somber, faces blank. Some of them have red-rimmed eyes, cheeks stained with tears. Others are stony-faced, lips pursed together in a tight line, but their eyes say everything and shows the sadness they cannot fully express. No words are spoken, either quietly or loudly, as the priest rambles on with his memorized and reiterative speech.

Hibari stands in between a melancholic Dino and a sniffling Kusakabe, who makes no move to wipe at the corners of his eyes. Hibird is settled on his shoulder, head bowed. As the Cloud Guardian shifts his dark eyes to the priest, he silently makes a remark about how unnecessary it is to have a religious figure lead the funeral. You did not know him, and he did not know you. He never even _seen _you once before this very day, but Tsunayoshi was the one who had called him. (Hibari was left to accept that decision, whether he cared or not.)

As the casket is lowered to the ground six feet down, he vividly remembers the horrific scene that day.

He had been drinking tea with Kusakabe at the underground Vongola base when Hibird sent an SOS, which they immediately received. The yellow bird was greatly alarmed, and the Cloud Guardian immediately responded to the alert. He dashed out of the base, his right-hand man too bewildered and shocked to quickly react, and reached the surface in a few short seconds. His tonfas were secured beneath his sleeves, ready to be whipped out at the first sign of trouble. He followed the signal towards the intercity of Namimori, hissing at passersby who got in his way. Of course, he didn't have to do that when the serious expression on his face scared them enough for them to move out of his path without a single command.

_Where the heck was Hibird?_

Hibari kept on moving, ignoring the mob of people as he pushed through them. Then, there it was: The puff ball of a bird was frantically circling an area where a large crowd was gathered at. He scowled at them as he approached the scene, steps slowing but still urgent, their murmured and panicked words not registering. He made his way towards the front, nudging people aside, but when he finally did, he was greeted with a disturbing sight.

Blood clouded his vision. It flooded his every senses, and he'd been able to taste the sharp tang of coppery metal on his tongue. Strangely enough, it made him want to suddenly gag. It was an unusual reaction for him, but the cause of it was most likely what----or rather _whom_----was beneath all of that crimson liquid. The shriek of sirens shrilly cried out, approaching the chaotic scene. The throng of silent people either stood stunned or quickly walked away, faces pale and sickly. There were hushed whispers and crying children with cooing mothers behind him as he continued staring at the mess on the street, heart thundering loudly in his ears, unable to force himself to look away, not even caring that he was surrounded by a mass of onlookers. Kusakabe finally managed to catch up and reached out towards him, grasping onto his sleeve, ignoring the fact that he hated being touched. His eyes followed Hibari's gaze, and when they landed on the destination, they widen in startled fear, for he could recognize the tangled mass of limbs of a body that was lying motionless in the middle of the street.

Practically bathed in blood, you were partially identifiable, but Hibari could still catch your familiar scent lingering underneath the more dense and overwhelming stench. If that wasn't enough proof, then surely the little (and scarcely visible) sakura pattern on the bolero jacket was. (Or even the anxiously twittering Hibird whom still continued circling in the air above the unmoving body.)

Dino had arrived and squeezed through the crowd to where the other two were. His eyebrows furrowed together in sadness at the sight that laid before them and placed a comforting hand on Hibari's shoulder. Immediately, he tensed and rudely shrugged it off, scowling darkly at the blonde, whose face turned to one of complete surprise, and walked off (away from the scene and away from the hordes of unsightly people who greatly misunderstood.)

The casket gently and softly lands on the bottom of the rectangular hole. The straps are carefully removed. Then the priest begins a new speech as the cemetery caretaker gives them the go-ahead to warily approach the hole and throw their flowers in. Single roses limply falls in, either landing on the casket or in the space left in between the wall of the grave and the container. Kusakabe lets the branch of sakura slip from his hand. It lands with a dull _oomph_, the other flowers littered over the nearly covered surface creating a cushion. Hibird flutters over and drops in the thornless purple rose, returning to its owner's shoulder afterwards. Hibari did not move from his spot. He did not hold any sort of flower in his hands, which are jammed into the pockets of his pants. Once dirt begins to be shoveled into the open grave, he has no more reason to be there, and so, he leaves, this action catching the attention of many pairs of eyes. Even the priest trails off into silence, mouth agape.

He reaches the hidden entrance to his part of the base when someone calls out his name. It isn't Kusakabe, he knows that for sure, because the voice holds an authority that is neither sharp nor harsh. But he knows it's not Dino, either. He turns to look over his shoulder and isn't surprised to see Tsunayoshi there. The mafia boss isn't visibly upset. Instead, he appears to be more concerned than anything. They lock gazes for a long moment before Hibari scoffs at the unspoken words of the brunette and heads into the base.

There's a dreadfully cold chill in the atmosphere as he walks through the passage. It reminds him of just how alone he is, even with Hibird as his constant companion. However, he's never minded it before; he _liked _being alone. Why should he start now? Because you were dead?

He can lie that it doesn't hurt. That it doesn't matter. That he doesn't care. That things wasn't going to change because of it.

He can pretend it has no effect on him. That you were just there for his own amusement. That he's just as cold and heartless as he makes himself out to be.

But he can't hide the pain from himself. He can't ignore the aching hole in his chest. Nor the difficulty of trying to breathe, to try to swallow that lump in his throat. He can't stop or even slow down the racing of his heart.

He wants it all to stop, let him be the way he was, but there's something that holds him back and make him think about it. If he gives it all up, what would be left? Nothing. There would be no memories of you, no emotion, and no experiences. All that would be left is the shell of who he was, of who he is.

Slipping off his shoes, he slides open the door, the paper crinkling with the movement. He slides it shut behind him and walks in the direction of his room. His shoulders feel unusually sore, but that's probably due to the stress of the past week, which is nothing more than a blurred memory he can barely recall.

Hibird flits towards the low table, slightly scratching the surface with its clawed feet as it lands and clambers across to the orchids neatly situated in the center. Hibari is in the midst of undressing when it coos over to him. He turns to see what it wants, and the bird starts to sing. The tune is too familiar for him to ever not recognize it. Instead of causing him to swell with pride, it makes him morose and nostalgic, and it's evident in his eyes as his face softens.

Only Hibird will ever witness this side its master has expressed in its presence. Only Hibird will ever know (for sure) that he wanted you for life.


End file.
